


Put Out Your Lights

by paragraph (ebcdic)



Series: Hunting Rabbits [3]
Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Break Up, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, M/M, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-30
Updated: 2017-04-30
Packaged: 2018-10-25 16:32:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10768152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ebcdic/pseuds/paragraph
Summary: “But he’s completely emotionally unavailable and does he even have sex?”





	Put Out Your Lights

Dick isn’t really sure how to break the news to Tim. In fact, he’s not even sure if it is news, after all, it was basically just a peck on the lips and a not-really-quite-an-admission from Bruce. Besides, what if Bruce back peddles on it all as he’s prone to do? Then Dick will not only be without Bruce, but without Tim too and damn if that doesn’t sound like he’s just using Tim anyway. Which he’s not. Right? Because he wanted Tim too and had wanted him for awhile before he felt Tim was old enough to handle it. That sounds wrong to Dick too. He shakes his head to clear his thoughts, considers picking up the phone to get it over with, but then decides that if he had the balls to stand up to Bruce, he sure as damn well better have the balls to tell Tim about whatever this is to his face. So he slips on his shoes, grabs his jacket and makes his way downstairs.

By the time Dick gets to Gotham, he’s a nervous wreck. On the ride over, he thought about what he’s going to say to Tim and came up with nothing that wouldn’t hurt the kid’s feelings. Every clichéd line is waiting there for him to use, but he doesn’t want to pull one out on Tim. Tim deserves better than that. Dick continues to mull it over as he makes his way up to Tim’s room, using the back stairs so he won’t run into Alfred or Bruce. He knocks lightly on the door and doesn’t wait for Tim to answer before he enters, shutting and locking it behind him.

Tim is lounging on the bed, apparently working on some homework, and it really hits Dick for not the first time that Tim really is that young and maybe Bruce was right to chew him out over fucking around with him. 

“Hey, Dick, what’s up?” Tim asks without looking up from his homework.

Dick clears his throat. “We need to talk.”

Immediately, Dick notices that Tim’s spine stiffens and his legs stop swinging back and forth. Tim rolls over and looks up at Dick.

“What? What is it? Is it something with Bruce?”

“Well, no. I mean, yes. I mean, it’s not what you think.”

Tim laughs softly. “Oh, you can read my mind now?”

Dick shakes his head. “No, I just mean that Bruce is fine and—“

He cuts himself off as Tim reaches up to pull him down into the bed. Dick automatically goes with it and lets Tim roll him under him. 

“And you came here to seduce me out of my homework?” Tim finishes Dick’s previous sentence.

Dick tries to sit up a little and ends up with Tim in his lap. “No, I came here to talk, like I said.”

Tim frowns. “We need to talk never means anything good.”

Dick sighs. “I know.”

Shifting slightly in Dick’s lap, Tim nearly pouts. “So what do you want to talk about?”

The dozens of clichéd lines run through Dick’s head again. _It’s not you, it’s me_ , is foremost among them. But instead of saying any of them, Dick takes a deep breath. 

“There’s no easy way to say this.” He pauses to make sure that Tim is paying attention. “I’m in love with someone else.”

Tim blinks rapidly. “What? Who?”

 _No one you know_ , Dick wants to say to make it easier but instead the name falls softly from his lips. “Bruce.”

“Bruce?” Tim laughs. “You’re a little late for April Fools, Dick.”

Dick cups Tim’s face to make sure he’s holding his eyes. “I’m serious.”

“But he’s completely emotionally unavailable and does he even have sex?” Tim balks.

When Dick doesn’t answer immediately, Tim continues. “I mean, have you had sex with him?”

“Well, no…”

“Is he in love with you?”

“Well, I’m not entirely sure—“

“Oh, Dick.” Tim slides forward in Dick’s lap. “You’re really going to stop touching me in the hopes that he’ll someday, maybe want to touch you back?”

And it sounds stupid to Dick when Tim puts it that way. Why would he want Bruce, who possibly doesn’t even want him back, when Tim is sitting right here in his lap? Except that Dick loves Bruce and has loved him in some form or another as far back as he can remember and even though he loves Tim too, in his own way, it just isn’t the same. Besides, it’s not like he and Tim are committed or have even said the words to each other and isn’t Tim more obsessed than in love with him anyway?

“I mean,” Tim continues and Dick realizes he hasn’t answered him. “I’ll do anything you want.” 

“Tim—“

“I’ll be anything you want.”

“Tim. Don’t.” 

“Don’t what?” Tim kisses Dick hard. “I love you.”

Dick’s heart gets stuck in his throat and he has to swallow it down. Those are the words he so desperately needs to hear from Bruce and can’t have them, and here Tim is, offering them freely. But Dick just shakes his head.

“You don’t love—“

“Don’t tell me what I do and don’t feel. Don’t act like him. I do love you, Dick. I do.”

There’s so much need in Tim’s voice. Dick can’t help but wonder why he did this to Tim knowing that he loved Bruce first. Maybe he thought he’d get over Bruce or maybe he thought—well, it doesn’t matter because whatever his reasoning, it’s backfiring on him now. Dick doesn’t know what to do with Tim’s words and he thinks it’s some kind of fucked up irony since Bruce doesn’t seem to know what to do with Dick’s words either. Dick gently pushes Tim out of his lap and climbs out of the bed against the sound of protest that Tim makes. Slowly, he makes his way to the door and unlocks it. He speaks without facing Tim, his voice flat.

“But you’ll get over me, Tim. You’ll find someone else who can love you back like you deserve.”

“I don’t want to love someone else. I want you, Dick.”

Dick slips out the door without replying and shuts it behind him. He hears something hit the door, probably Tim’s textbook, and flinches slightly before walking away.


End file.
